1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a trench drain system and a method for manufacturing a trench drain system and more particularly to a pre-sloped below grade trench drain system which includes a plurality of molded modular sections, each modular section formed with a uniform exterior height and an interior pre-sloped fluid channel, the modular sections being configured to be easily coupled together to form trench drains of various lengths to be received in a level trench forming a trench drain with a continuous or stepped slope in one direction or sloped in two directions; the molded modular sections being formed from a master mold and one or more mold inserts in order to reduce the cost to mold the modular trench drain sections.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Trench drain systems are known in the art. Examples of such trench drain systems are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,066,165; 5,213,438; 5,226,748; 5,340,234; 5,529,436; 5,718,537; 5,971,662; 6,000,881; 6,027,283; 6,113,311; 6,595,720; and 6,612,780 as well as US Patent Application Publication No. US 2005/0025572 A1, all hereby incorporated by reference.
Trench drains are typically used in areas where substantial amounts of water run-off are expected and are normally disposed in a recessed area in a concrete surface. Such trench drains are known to be formed in sections that are adapted to be coupled together to form trench drain systems of different lengths. Such trench drain systems are normally connected to the building drain system or municipal storm water systems (hereinafter “common drain system”). Like other drain systems in a building, trench drains are normally installed by the installation contractor so that it slopes toward the common drain system so that run-off collected by the trench drain feeds into the common drain system by gravity.
Known trench drain systems include modular trench sections, which include fluid channels formed with no slope that are open on top having either a semi-circular or U-shaped cross section. These modular trench sections are configured to be coupled together to form a trench drain system of a desired length. Normally, once the location of the trench drain is selected, the modular trench sections are coupled together by the installation contractor. The installation contractor then digs a sloping trench and places the trench drain system in the trench. The trench drain is secured in place in the ground with stakes in preparation of the pouring of the concrete. After the concrete is poured and cured, grates are placed over the modular trench sections to catch debris as well as to avoid personnel hazards.
There are many known drawbacks with known trench drain systems. First, the efficacy of such systems depends on the contractor's prowess in digging an appropriately sloped trench. If the trench is not appropriately sloped, the trench drain will not properly drain into the common drain. Secondly, the configuration of such trench drain systems offers limited connection possibilities to a common drain. For example, such systems are only configured with a connection to the common drain on one end. Moreover, because the modular trench sections are uniform in configuration and are installed by the installation contractor with a slope for gravity drainage, known trench drains cannot be used in applications in which it would be more efficient to provide a connection to the common drain either in the center or at both ends of the trench drain. Unfortunately, both configurations would require at least two modular trench sections with different slopes, which would not be possible with known trench drain systems. Thus, there is a need for a trench drain system which does not rely on the contractor's installation for proper sloping and also allows for more configurations for the connection to the common drain.